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Pain Management

This week I sat down with 3 of the physicians from The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia, Dr. Randy Rizor, Dr. John Porter, and Dr. Charlie MacNeill.  Since 1995, The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia has provided innovative, effective, and comprehensive treatment of pain with special emphasis on spinal pain and care of the injured worker.

The practice has offices and surgery centers at convenient locations around the Atlanta metro area in Sandy Springs, Marietta, and Rome, as well as an office in Calhoun.  Their eight physicians have all earned additional qualifications in pain management, the only pain management certification recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

We talked about a number of the advances in technology and technique such as Tenex TX and Platelet Rich Plasma that allow these pain specialists to more effectively reduce or in some cases, eliminate pain for their patients.  This gives their patients the ability to rehabilitate and return to levels of activity and function at or near pre-injury levels.  The physicians shared how they had previously been practicing anesthesiologists who were frequently called upon to help relieve intractable pain for their patients, ultimately inspiring them to launch a stand alone practice aimed at helping pain patients.

The doctors explained the difference between simply medicating patients with opioid medications versus recognized pain interventions coupled with rehabilitation measures to achieve pain relief and return of quality of life.  This approach helps avoid the pitfalls of using opioid meds, particularly when they would be taken over an extended period of time.   The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia operate under the philosophy of: Diagnose, Treat, Rehabilitate.

Special Guests:

Dr. Charlie MacNeill, MD  Co-founder of The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia      

• Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School of Medicine
• Residency in Anesthesiology at Emory and Grady Hospitals
• Board certified in Anesthesiology and Sub-specialty board certified in Pain Medicine
• Awarded two Bronze Stars during his tour as a Vietnamese linguist and cryptographer

Dr. Randy Rizor, MD  Co-founder of The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia  

• Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Toledo School of Medicine
• Residency in Anesthesiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology
• Sub-specialty certification in Pain Management from the American Board of Anesthesiology

Dr. John Porter, MD  Co-founder of The Physicians Spine & Rehabilitation Specialists of Georgia

• Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Residency in anesthesiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Fellowship in cardiac anesthesia at Emory University Medical School
• Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and received Sub-specialty Certification in Pain Management from the American Board of Anesthesiology